![]() In 1778, during his study of the stars, Edward noticed that the positions of stars and their brightness varied from one star catalogue to the other. Nathaniel’s son, Edward, too had a keen interest in astronomy and even though he was eleven years older than John, both became good friends. It was one of the finest observatories of those times. Young John’s neighbor in York, Nathaniel Pigott was an astronomer and had built a private observatory. Here John’s interest in astronomy developed and he started night sky observation at the age of fifteen. Having conquered his handicap, he joined the Warrington Academy in 1778 which was a prominent educational institution known for its emphasis on the study of ‘natural philosophy’ or today’s science and mathematics. He also overcame his disability and learnt to speak and lip-read. Here John learned the three ‘r’s of education – reading, writing and arithmetic. Hence, John was sent to a renowned school for the deaf and dumb in Edinburgh. Some of them also were well-placed in the Court of the King. But the Goodrickes were an intellectual and educated family. This was the time in England when the deaf and dumb people were derided by society. When he was only five years old, John suffered from scarlet fever and lost his hearing ability. His father Henry, was a diplomat and his mother was the daughter of a wealthy Belgian merchant. ![]() John Goodricke was born on September 17, 1764, in Groningen, the Netherlands. Though a few astronomers had spent time in recording the exact position of stars in the sky, stellar astronomy or the study of stars was still in its infancy. Until this time, astronomers had busied themselves only in the study of the sun, the moon, planets, the moons of the planet Jupiter and the comets. In 1783, Goodricke observed that the brightness of a star called Algol varies. But what is not noticed is that these stars periodically change in brightness or magnitude. This is a story of a young man named John Goodricke who is credited with the introduction of a new branch of astronomy – the astronomy of variable stars. What are variable stars? We see hundreds of stars twinkling in the night sky. If you see any problems with this tool, or any of our interactive tools, please send an email to. The orbital period of the binary undergoes slight but unpredictable long-term drifts. In December 2021 we revised the prediction formula to better match Algol’s current minima. The times given should be accurate to within a few minutes. Or you can enter any current date to see the dates and times of eight consecutive minima. Click "Initialize to today" to view the dates and times of Algol's minima for the next three weeks. (For detailed tips on estimating a variable's brightness, see "The Lure of Variable Stars." For information and finder charts for Algol and 11 other inconstant stars, see "The Top 12 Naked-Eye Variable Stars.") Below is a calculator you can use to predict when Algol will be at mideclipse. You can compare Algol's brightness with them at a glance click on the star chart to see a larger version with the magnitudes of several comparison stars clearly labeled. Good comparison stars are Gamma (γ) Andromedae to Algol's west, magnitude 2.1, and Epsilon (ε) Persei to its east, magnitude 2.9. Algol stays nearly that faint for two hours centered on the time of mideclipse, and it takes several additional hours to fade and to rebrighten. In the middle of an eclipse it shines dimly at magnitude 3.4 instead of its usual 2.1. ![]() Its changes are very plain to the naked eye. Algol fades and rebrightens like clockwork every 2.87 days. You can check on it whenever you step outdoors on nights when Perseus is in view. Sky & Telescope The star Algol (β Persei) was the first eclipsing variable star ever discovered, and it's still the most famous one. ![]() Good comparison stars are Gamma Andromedae to Algol's west, magnitude 2.1, and Epsilon Persei to its east, magnitude 2.9. The star Algol (Beta Persei) was the first eclipsing variable star ever discovered. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |